IAN Millward will work for Leigh without pay until the end of the season, when he returns to Australia to become assistant coach with North Queensland Cowboys.

The controversial 44-year-old, who has been sacked by both St Helens and Wigan in the last 13 months, wants to repay the Centurions for their part in launching his coaching career back in 1998.

Millward announced on Friday that he is to end his seven-year stay in England but is determined to help Leigh regain their Super League status as a parting gift.

He will work part-time, on a voluntary basis, alongside the Centurions' New Zealand head coach Tony Benson until October, when he will take up a two-year deal with the Cowboys.

In Townsville, Millward will renew his role of assistant to former Leeds head coach Graham Murray, with whom he worked at Illawarra in the late 1990s.

Millward, who has agreed a settlement with Wigan on the three seasons left on his contract, will combine his current media commitments with specialist coaching sessions at Hilton Park.

He told a news conference today that he was "getting bored at home" and rejected two other coaching offers in order to aid the Centurions, who were relegated from Super League last September after just one season in the top flight.

"If I can do anything to help Leigh get into Super League in 2007, it's the least I can do," he said.

"There will be no remuneration. If I was doing it for money, I could have taken up another couple of options that were handed to me.

"Leigh gave me a fantastic opportunity when I first came to this country as an unknown coach. They also gave me a fantastic opportunity to go to St Helens. They didn't ask for compensation.

"I just want to put something back. Tony is a great coach on the way up and, if I can help him in his advancement and also help the team, I would feel a lot more comfortable when I leave the UK.

"I'm not director of coaching, far from it. I'm just putting a little bit of time back into Leigh. I don't want to take anything away from what Tony is trying to achieve at this club.

Skills

"I'll make myself available as much as I can. I expect to work on a fairly regular basis. If players want me to spend more time with them on their skills, I'm available. That's what I enjoy and that's what I'm good at."

The 38-year-old Benson, who was appointed on a two-year contract last September to succeed Darren Abram, revealed the arrival of Millward had already had a beneficial effect ahead of Sunday's Northern Rail Cup semi-final with Workington.

"It's giving us a real mid-season boost," he said. "Certainly there has been a spring in the players' steps in the last couple of days. They're all ears to a new voice.

"Our plans were to get back into Super League within two to three years but I think we're ahead of that now and looking a good chance this year.

"The decision has been made that we're going to have a damned good go at it this year and we're looking at bolstering our ranks and making some changes.

"The opportunity to involve Ian right now is absolutely perfect. It's an exciting time for the club. His success speaks for itself.

"He's had a day and a half of hands-on coaching so far and he's had some good input already."

Millward was appointed coach of Leigh in September 1998 as successor to Norman Turley and took them from the bottom of Division One to fourth place in his first season.

He was named Northern Ford Premiership coach of the year for 1999 and, by the time he left to succeed Ellery Hanley at St Helens in early 2000, the Centurions were top of the table.

Millward led Saints to five major trophies in his five seasons at Knowsley Road but was sensationally sacked for gross misconduct in May 2005.

He was appointed by arch rivals Wigan just 12 days later but had his contract terminated after a seventh defeat in eight games left the Warriors bottom of the table.

Millward turned down offers during his St Helens days from Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra but admits he still harbours ambitions to become a head coach in Australia's National Rugby League.

"It's sad in one way that I'm leaving," he said. "I wouldn't be the coach I am if I hadn't come to England. I think I will eventually end up coaching back in the UK but this is a new challenge for me.

"I've had seven great years and I've achieved all of my goals and dreams in the UK. I want to be a head coach in the NRL and the Cowboys know my ambitions.

"The time is right for me now. I've had two setbacks but I've got no regrets."

Leigh, currently four points behind LHF National League One leaders Hull Kingston Rovers, need to win October's Grand Final at Warrington to reclaim their Super League status.

That could ironically be at the expense of arch rivals Wigan and Leigh football director Stephen Grainey insists they would seize the chance to replace the Warriors in the top flight.

"It's unfortunate what is happening at Wigan, nobody likes seeing that," he said. "But, if we get our opportunity to go into Super League, we're going to take it."